Players such as Jaime Moreno, Marco Etcheverry, and Eddie Pope are among the team's most successful stars. D.C. United's fan base includes four supporters' clubs.[10] The club's official nickname is the "Black-and-Red" and home uniforms are black and white with accents of red. The team's name alludes to the "United" appellation commonly found in the names of soccer teams in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.[11]

In October 1998, Arena left DC United to coach the U.S. men's national team. Arena's departure marked the beginning of a downturn in the team's fortunes.[13] While the club again won the MLS Cup in 1999 under coach Thomas Rongen, lackluster results in 2000 and 2001 led to Rongen's departure and his replacement by Ray Hudson in 2002. The team did not, however, fare much better under Hudson, and Piotr Nowak replaced him before the start of the 2004 season.[14] The club's first season under Nowak was marred by injuries in the early going, and some players were known to have complained about Nowak's methods.[15] Nevertheless, a strong finish, assisted in large measure by the late-season acquisition of Argentine midfielder Christian Gómez, who helped to propel United into the playoffs as the second seed. There they advanced past the New England Revolution on penalty kicks in what has been called one of the best games in MLS history.[16][17][18][19][20] United then defeated the Kansas City Wizards to win their fourth MLS Cup.[4] United's attendance record at RFK Stadium is 54,282, in a match against the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001.[21][22]

On November 18, 2003, MLS made sports history by signing Freddy Adu, a 14-year-old soccer prodigy and on January 16, 2004, he was officially selected by United with the first pick in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. When Adu entered United's regular-season opener as a second-half substitute on April 3, 2004, he became the youngest player in any professional sport in the United States since 1887.[23] On December 11, 2006, D.C. United traded Adu and goalkeeper Nick Rimando to Real Salt Lake in exchange for a major allocation, goalkeeperJay Nolly, and future considerations.[24]

Since winning back-to-back Shields in 2006 and 2007, the club failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs five years in a row. During this stretch, United's lone major title came in 2008, when they won the U.S. Open Cup. In league play during the 2008 and 2009 campaigns, United faltered at the tail-end of each season, ultimately causing them to miss out on the playoffs. They had a poor 2010 MLS season, winning only six matches, drawing four and losing 20. In 2011, United again failed to qualify for the playoffs in the second to last week of the campaign. In 2012, United returned to the playoffs for the first time in five years, clinching a berth in the second-to-last week of the season.[26]

D.C. United tallied a total of only 3 wins in the 2013 season, setting a record for fewest wins in league history.[27] Despite the team's poor showing in league play, D.C. United defeated Real Salt Lake in the U.S. Open Cup final.[28] This qualified the team to participate in the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League.[28] In 2014, D.C. United executed a historic turnaround by clinching first place in the Eastern Conference, which also earned the team its second consecutive Champions League berth.[29]

Colors and badge

First logo of D.C. United. (1995–1997)

Second Logo of D.C. United. (1998–2015)

The team's colors and original logo were announced on October 17, 1995, along with those of the other ten original teams during a presentation in New York City.[12] Black and white are D.C. United's primary colors, though the team's nickname is the "Black-and-Red." Red is used to accent the home jersey while white is the main color of the team's road uniform. The three stripes along the shoulder – in white at home and black on the road – do not represent the three jurisdictions of the Washington Metropolitan Area (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia); rather, they represent the fact that the team's uniforms are made by Adidas. United's shirt sponsor is Reston, Virginia defense company Leidos.[30] In 2011, the team introduced a predominantly red third uniform with black accents to be worn four or more times in the season.[31] The team has also previously used white road uniforms with red stripes; white and red are the colors of the flag of Washington, D.C., and the stripes are also reminiscent of those used on the flag.

The team's original shield was implemented in 1996 consisting of the team's name, D.C. United, above a black bald eagle facing right on a red field, clawing three soccer balls overlaid on three white stars. The three stars and balls were intended to represent the region's three jurisdictions. The bird, associated with the federal government based in Washington, D.C., symbolizes many of the attributes of the team, including speed and power. The logo was redesigned before the 1998 season. This second logo design reoriented the eagle facing left, and removed the three stars below it, whose metaphor was retained by three raised wing feathers. At the center of the eagle is a single gold-colored star and soccer ball, which represents the team's victory in Major League Soccer's inaugural cup in 1996.[32] The logo can also be adorned with four silver stars above it, representing the MLS Cups the team has won.

On December 10, 2015, D.C. United unveiled an updated logo designed by Peter Horridge, featuring a D.C. flag-inspired design across the eagle, an updated wordmark, and more dynamic wings.[33][34]

Audi Field (2018– )

In July 2006, D.C. United proposed building a new stadium along the Anacostia River near Anacostia Park, but disputes with the city government forced the team to consider other sites.[8][49]

On July 25, 2013, a tentative deal was announced which would see a 20,000-25,000 seat stadium built at Buzzard Point in the District of Columbia costing $300 million.[50][51] It was signed into law on December 30, 2014.[52] Under the July 2013 deal, the District of Columbia was to have obtained a portion of the necessary Buzzard Point property from the developer that owned it, in exchange for cash and a government building. D.C. United would kick the $150 million needed to construct the stadium on the city-owned land, which it would rent for 20 to 35 years.[53] Under the deal as revised by D.C. City Council in December 2014, the city would instead pay fair market value for the developer's land, and use eminent domain if a deal could not be reached.

D.C. United and the city signed a final construction agreement on June 8.[55] The agreement established the term of the lease at 30 years for a minimal $1 per year. The agreement also contained a clause governing land: If the cost of land acquisition rose above $150 million, D.C. United was required to reimburse the city 50 percent of the excess (although the club's commitment was capped at $10 million). The club was also barred from playing more than an occasional home game away from the Buzzard Point stadium, prohibiting the team from relocating during the term of the lease.[56] Mayor Bowser then submitted the agreement, as well as land purchase agreements and a revised developer agreement, to the City Council for approval; the council approved the land purchase agreements on June 30, 2015.[57]

Under the terms of the June 8 agreement, D.C. United was required to submit a concept design for the stadium to the city by September 1, 2015. The District of Columbia faced a deadline for September 30, 2015, to use eminent domain to acquire the Akridge land, which forces the club to commit to building a stadium before the city finished purchasing land.[58] On September 30, the District of Columbia filed for eminent domain for the Akridge parcel.[59]

In April 2016, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser led a ceremonial demolition of the existing buildings at the Buzzard Point site.[60]Audi signed a 12-year contract for naming rights on the field.[61]

Club culture

Supporters and mascot

D.C. United has four major supporters groups; La Barra Brava, the Screaming Eagles, La Norte[62] and the District Ultras.[62] Each group has a designated section of the home stadium. La Barra Brava, Spanish for "The Brave Fans", was founded in 1995 by Latino fans in the Washington, D.C. area, mostly Bolivian immigrants in support of original United players Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno. They seek to bring a South American style to home games.[63] All four clubs host public tailgates before home matches, and are known for singing during games.[64] La Norte, which takes its name from its location on the north side of the stadium, is noted for its streamers, large drum, and harassment of the opposition.[65]

Rivalries

D.C. United's primary rival is the New York Red Bulls. The two teams compete annually for the Atlantic Cup, a competition instituted by the two clubs. The cup is awarded to the team that gets the most points across the teams' meetings throughout the season. D.C. United also has a burgeoning rivalry with the Philadelphia Union as the two teams represent two cities separated by only 120 miles.[67][68] D.C. United is also unique among MLS teams for its rivalry with the Charleston Battery of the United Soccer Leagues, as they compete every time they face one another for the Coffee Pot Cup, a trophy established by the two sides' supporters.[69]

Ownership

When the league was founded in 1995, billionaire investor George Soros was the primary financial backer and director of Washington Soccer L.P., the group that owned the operating rights to D.C. United.[70]Kevin Payne, former President of Soccer USA Partners and current CEO of D.C. United, was instrumental in organizing this ownership group. By 1998 the group was looking for new investors, and on February 15, 2001, it agreed to sell the team to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), founded by Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz, with AEG exercising its option to become the sole investor-operator on January 8, 2002.[12] AEG, who also own Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo, ran the team until 2007.

In May 2007, United entered into an initial one-year strategic partnership with Brazilian club Atlético Mineiro. The goal of the partnership is to enhance the sporting and commercial success of the respective clubs by sharing expertise and experience as well as creating new opportunities for the clubs in both areas.[71]

On January 8, 2007, the operating rights to D.C. United were sold to D.C. United Holdings, a newly formed group venture that included real estate developer Victor MacFarlane, founder of MacFarlane Partners, and William H.C. Chang, chairman of Westlake International Group. Other investors included D.C. United president Kevin Payne and Blue Devil Development, headed by former Duke basketball players Brian Davis and Christian Laettner.[72] In April 2009, Victor MacFarlane sold his share of the team to his partner William Chang after two stadium proposals had fallen through.[73] In October 2009, Chang also bought out Davis and Laettner to fully control the team.[74] Chang is also one of the primary investors of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants.[12] In July 2012, Erick Thohir and Jason Levien, minority owners of the Philadelphia 76ersNational Basketball Association franchise, joined Chang as partners. Thohir and Levin stated their primary goals are to make United a global brand and build a soccer-specific stadium for the club.[75]

The team went four seasons without English-language radio coverage after WZAA (1050 AM) dropped broadcasts at the end of the 2009 season. Beginning in 2010, radio coverage was available in Spanish only on WDCN-LP (87.7 FM).[82] For the 2014 season, D.C. United entered into a four-year deal with CBS Radio, including English-language coverage on WJFK-FM (106.7 FM) or WJFK (1580 AM) and Spanish-language coverage on WLZL-HD2 (107.9 FM-HD2). Navy Midshipmen football announcer Pete Medhurst commentated alone in the first two years of the deal, but English radio coverage in 2016 and 2017 was a simulcast of the television commentary.[83][84] As the deal with CBS Radio expired after the 2017 season, the team currently does not have radio coverage for the 2018 season.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (CSN) held television rights from 1996 through 2015, dating back to its time as Home Team Sports. In CSN's final three-year deal starting with the 2013 season, it was obligated to show a minimum of 16 matches per season,[85] but late-season and playoff matches were often relegated to the network's "CSN+" feed or not televised at all due to scheduling conflicts with the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards.[77]

Hall of Tradition

In 2003, D.C. United introduced the "Hall of Tradition" (formerly "Tradition of Excellence"), an honor bestowed upon players, coaches & front office staff deemed by United to have been crucial to the team's success.[93] People are listed in the order in which they joined the club.

Banners for the "Hall of Tradition" members are displayed at RFK Stadium.